Big fan or AC?

[ironhat]

Thanks for the reminder, Tom. I have to remove my window unit each fall and I'm amazed at the amount of particulates that I find in the unit! I had planned to build a filter holder for it over the unit but that didn't get done. I'll have to get to itASAP.

[dbhost]

I've had to dig out my mini wall / a/c combo for the first time this weekend. And somehow I can't get the (expletives deleted by author) holes to line up, so I can't secure the dumb thing...

Drawing board time again...

I tried copying something I saw a neighbor doing a couple of years ago...

BTW. I cannot leave this installed. The HOA won't fuss if it is temporary, put in place while I tinker in the garage, but they will raise a royal stink if I leave it in place...

I swear as soon as I get this dumb house sold I I am to try to find something with more land, and less homeowners association...

[dbhost]

After seeing where my warping occoured (causing the wall sides to bow out BADLY) I decided to go back to the drawing board. I have my window unit laid straight on the ground with a little bit of a foam gasket mounted to the bottom and sides to close up air gaps. I built a "Mini Wall" 14" tall, x75.5" wide, out of mostly scrap and 2 stocked 2x4s. I sided it with scraps of T1-11 turned inside out to hide the face I kind of blew it on lining the stripes up... I have everything in place, the door is down, and the A/C is on, has been for about 10 minutes. I KNOW I am gaining heat from the open gap in the garage door, not sure what to do about that, but for now, I am planning on foam boarding the space between the siding and the inside air, as well as foam boarding the insides of the garage doors to at least TRY to control heat some...

I tried taking some pics, but my camera batteries are dead. Will post more later...

[gjat]

I had a set up like that for awhile. For the top gap on a roll up door, I had some insulation in two rolled up sheets that I would drop in the opening.

[IBBugsy]

How about a fan like this......



I junked it after two years. It was fun to fix it up but not very practical for woodworking or space considerations.

[Russianwolf]

How about a through the wall unit? You should be able to find them at lowes or HD or other places. You just cut a hole through the wall on the back of the house (or side) and the unit is designed to vent out the back only, not through the sides like a window unit.

If the walls are block, mount the unit on the floor in the attic and make a vent to the garage all sealed up nice. Remember that cold air falls. Heck it's probably a better placement there anyway, you could place the vent directly over your main work area.

[dbhost]

I had a set up like that for awhile. For the top gap on a roll up door, I had some insulation in two rolled up sheets that I would drop in the opening.

Rolled up sheets. Like old Bed sheets you mean?

[GaryA]

How about a through the wall unit? You should be able to find them at lowes or HD or other places. You just cut a hole through the wall on the back of the house (or side) and the unit is designed to vent out the back only, not through the sides like a window unit.

If the walls are block, mount the unit on the floor in the attic and make a vent to the garage all sealed up nice. Remember that cold air falls. Heck it's probably a better placement there anyway, you could place the vent directly over your main work area.

Very interesting idea! I didnt even know there was a difference between "through wall" and window shakers. So, still not a good idea to punch through the block wall, I assume?

On the attic idea....I definitely have an open attic area (with pull down stairs to access) above my garage workshop - so I have plenty of room.... and, I like the idea of venting the cold air back into the shop via a nice vent....what what about: 1) condensation - where does it go? 2) heat dissipation - does it just go into the attic? And, is that safe, and does that also put the AC unit in jeopardy of overheating?

[gjat]

Gary,
Do NOT vent it to your attic. It is incredible how much heat that would build up in the attic. Also, the ac unit works on a heat exchange. The hotter the attic air, the harder it is to exchange the heat energy from the shop. Also, your shop needs to be well insulated.

Do you want to cool the entire garage, or do you have a section you can close off? Do you have a side door to your garage, or just the large door?

[Russianwolf]

Gary,
Do NOT vent it to your attic. It is incredible how much heat that would build up in the attic. Also, the ac unit works on a heat exchange. The hotter the attic air, the harder it is to exchange the heat energy from the shop. Also, your shop needs to be well insulated.

Do you want to cool the entire garage, or do you have a section you can close off? Do you have a side door to your garage, or just the large door?

The attic over the garage is rarely insulated and has a gable vent at a minimum. The temp in my garage attic is about the same as that in my garage (since I don't work in there). Add a gable fan (temp controled) and it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Gary, you can punch through the block, it's just more work than if you go through drywall and siding.

If you do place it in the attic, you can attach a hose to the condensation pan and have it drain into a bucket in the garage or outside if you are close enough to a wall.

But you do have options.

[GaryA]

The attic over the garage is rarely insulated and has a gable vent at a minimum. The temp in my garage attic is about the same as that in my garage (since I don't work in there). Add a gable fan (temp controled) and it shouldn't be an issue at all.

Gary, you can punch through the block, it's just more work than if you go through drywall and siding.

If you do place it in the attic, you can attach a hose to the condensation pan and have it drain into a bucket in the garage or outside if you are close enough to a wall.

But you do have options.

yep...the house is less than 2 years old, so it is pretty well attic ventilated, and no, there is no insulation directly in the area over the garage, but just to the side of it, there is blown insulation over the mainliving area. The garage is not insulated except for the overhead door, and the interior wall on one side. I do have another door besides the overhead garage door, but that one goes inside the house. There is a big cost difference between a window/through wall, and a mini-split...but looking outside again, and takeing a look from the street, I dont think I will, after all, be able to get away with anything hanging outside the wall. I may be able to do the through wall unit (about $$300-$400) attic installation (sounds like a split decision on whether that is a good way to go), a portable unit (about $500, and I prefer not to take up my precious floor space - will have to port a 4" hole) or a mini-split (about $800 to $1500 - and will have to hide the compressor outside- maybe have it installed).

[pelligrini]

If you can find a window/through wall unit that does not need to extend beyond the exterior face you might be able to leave it hanging to the inside. This would mean finding a unit that is only open on the back, not the sides. You'll have to do some creative framing and drain plumbing, but it shouldn't be that difficult. I think the hard part would be finding the unit.

You might try checking with some builders surplus places for commercial wall units. You might possibly find a good deal on an apartment/hotel type one.

This doesn't look too bad http://www.friedrich.com/products/Li...w.php?line=WMC

[gjat]

Gary,
I have a 3 car garage and I built a wall so that 1 car stall is my shop. My wall units are in that "interior" wall and vent into the 2 car stall area. I open the double door about 2 to 3' because the heat build up is incredible. I also have an attic fan that vents into my attic, where I have ridge vents along the entire lengths of all my ridges. I insulated the celing over the shop area. I experimented with and without insulation. It makes a tremendous difference, enough that that should be step number 1.

I understand that you can't have anything sticking out of the wall. You can have a vented opening. I've been in two shops that a/c'd the garage utilizing the opening of a side window. They were not allowed to have something sticking out. Both replaced the window with a louvered panel. On the inside, they built a plenum box the size of the window and about 2' deep. They installed a window a/c unit in the box and installed a small 120v fan that blew 'outward', as far from the a/c unit. One guy built a baffle inside. The small fan made sure air circulated from outside, accross the a/c, then out. If you look at a motel a/c unit, this is basically what they do, but more compact and factory built. Both systems work well, but you replace the window with a louver. If you have no window or doorway, I wouldn't want to cut a hole in you block either.

In your case, you could build a plenum box mounted on the ceiling. I would vent via a duct box it to your gable, and install a powered gable fan that you could turn on when running the a/c. The duct would have to have opening to the outside (such as eave openings) so that you have cooler outside air to draw accross your a/c coil. I don't know how to upload a picture, othewise I'd scan in a sketch so you can picture what I mean. The main work is building a plenum box, opening your ceiling, building duct to your gable, adding a gable fan, and finding out where to get 'cool' air.